


Tales of a Hermitdak

by MinaAffairs



Series: Hermitdak [1]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, Gen, Hermitdak, Nice feels universe, daddak, hordad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:13:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22122376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinaAffairs/pseuds/MinaAffairs
Summary: A collection of short stories from the Hermitdak AU that myself and StrawberryOverlord on tumblr have been working on.Hordak's ship crashes in the Whispering Woods, instead of attempting to conquer Etheria he was convinced to simply live upon it, and be free. The world changes for everyone.A more detailed rundown of the AU can be found here
Series: Hermitdak [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592380
Comments: 50
Kudos: 181





	1. Safe Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hordak, having taken in two children in the Whispering Woods, protects them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first short I wrote for this, getting a feel for the characters at this young age.

The pounding on the sanctum door causes Hordak to look up from his tinkering. Without hesitation he’s standing up, but when he hears the voice his pace quickens. Immediate panic courses through him.

“Hordak!!!” It’s Catra. She’s panicked.

He climbs the steps and throws the door open, nearly running. The small feline child has tears in her eyes, panic in her expression. Her furt is bristled and her tail is thrashing. “What’s wrong?!” He asks immediately. Sternly.

“A-Adora! She’s t-trapped! Monster!” The poor girl stammers.

The panic in Hordak’s own chest multiplies but he sets his expression firm. “Show me. Now!”

Catra nods rapidly then scampers forth on all fours! Hordak chases after her.

It’s not far, they had stayed rather near the cabin as Hordak always requests of them. Really just far enough for him to not hear the start of the commotion. A large insectoid creature is pounding and clawing against a tree. He can see Adora beneath it, hiding among the roots and the rocks just out of its reach. She’s howling in panic. In fear.

“Adora!” He hears Catra call out to his daughter. The blonde child looks up, eyes filled with tears.

“Catra!” Then she spots Hordak “Dad!”

It’s a desperate call to him. A plee for help.

Rage seethes in Hordak. How dare this thing attack his daughter. “Stay back” he hisses to Catra before charging forth. Slamming into the beast and sending it staggering. Quickly he moves to grab it, to manipulate it.

The actuators in his armor strain against the creatures weight, but he pulls it off of the tree, tossing it back. “Run!” He shouts back to Adora as he turns to face the thing.

His ears pick up her scrabbling and running. Good. The beast charges at him now, recognizing the threat, and he meets it head on. Feet dig into the ground, armor tenses and Hordak grapples with the monster. He holds for a moment before managing to push it out of the way, resetting his grip on it to grasp a mandible and rip it off with a roar.

With a weapon in hand he slams into the creatures eye next. Tearing it open. Then moving forward to the rest. Destroying the creature that dared attack his child.

When it falls dead Hordak himself steps back, breathing heavily. He feels the armor lock, quirk itself incorrectly. The pain is sharp and it causes him to hiss as he drops to a knee.

Then he hears the sniffling girls approaching him. “Dad?” Adoras small voice calls out to him, moving up beside him.

He bares the pain and looks up at her, giving her a reassuring nod. “Are you alright Adora?”

She nods quickly, but tears are welling in her eyes. She’s dirty and scratched up but she looks mostly uninjured.

When she chokes back her sob Hordak reaches out slowly to pull her against him. Adora starts to bawl the moment she’s safe in his arms.

He glances up seeing Catra sniffling too.

Hordak holds out his other hand shakily to the feline. She’s slammed up against him and Adora crying almost instantly. Hordak just quietly holds them in the clearing, letting them get the fear and the tears out of their systems.

They’re safe though. That’s what matters.

They’re all safe.


	2. Gifts From the Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hordak and his adopted children celebrate an Etherian Holiday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written as a gift on Christmas.

“Dad!”

“Hordak!”

The little voices made themselves painfully clear to the once top general to the Emperor of the known universe. Notably because they’re standing at the top of the steps to his sanctum shouting loudly down at him. It doesn’t annoy Hordak though, quite the contrary, he has spent the whole night waiting for this. After all wouldn’t you be excited to find colorfully wrapped boxes had mysteriously appeared in your home?

Hordak had long been aware of some Etherian holiday that occurred around this time of the year but he had never paid it much mind. That was until Adora finally took enough note of the decor in the nearby village to ask about it. It’s a simple thing, a winter festival with lights and evergreens for decoration. Many regions of many planets end up independently developing similar practices actually. Somewhat fascinating if one thinks about it.

It had been simple enough. Adora got Catra into the idea of decorating the cabin and naturally Hordak had to help because children cannot be trusted to actually do such things effectively. He showed them how they could make electric lights that would keep their colorful dazzle with no worry of fire, helped them make garlands and reefs and set it all up. It was actually a fun way to spend the idle moments of the season.

Hordak had picked up a little extra bit of trivia that the girls didn’t get in their excitement though. It is tradition to exchange gifts, and more importantly it is tradition for adults to give their children gifts. Though there is a built in way to add discreteness to it, which Hordak particularly loves.

“Yes?” He looks up from the work he is pretending to be involved in. “Is everything okay?" 

"There’s boxes! And they’re covered in colorful stuff!” Adora calls down.

“It’s called paper Adora! They’re covered in colorful paper!” Catra huffs.

Hordak suppresses a chuckle to let out a “hmm. I’ll be right up to take a look.”

He takes a moment, letting the girls hop around in curiosity and excitement as he pretends to put tools away and then walk up to the ground floor. Sure enough the presents are all stacked up near the fireplace where he left them. So Hordak walks over to lean down and take a look. “I believe these are for you two.” He finally says.

“What?!” Adora gasps. “What do you mean?!”

“He means they’re boxes for us!” Catra notes!

“Well I know that but why?? Where did they come from." 

Hordak’s hmms. "I believe they’re from the woods.” He says. “Didn’t you know? When you’re good all year and decorate your home Etheria knows to give you gifts.” Hordak notes. “So come on, I cannot open your gifts for you.” He notes. “They have your names on them.” He adds as he stands up and moves to go sit and watch this unfold.

The girls are hesitant at first, approaching the pile. Adora takes the lead to divy up the gifts to who they belong to, then she finally begins to carefully unwrap her first box. Making sure to minimize damage to the pretty paper. Catra watches this for a moment then grins and tears into her own with reckless abandon! 

Adora gasps and tries to tell her to be careful but that quickly falls way to gasping as the two see the first gift. A new blanket for Catra, very nice and very well made. Its heavy and fluffy. Catra likes to spend nights outside the cabin even when it gets cold, she needs a new heavy blanket for herself. It proceeds from there.

A little jacket for Adora, bo staffs for the two of them as it is about time they start really learning a weapon and that seems to be a good starting point, some toys they’d both shown interest in from town. A few snacks and sweets thrown in too.

It took a lot of trading, but luckily Hordak had some tech laying around in his sanctum that the nearby village people found quite interesting. It was all well worth it to see this, the girls so excited and happy. They deserve it. They have been good after all.

“Would anyone care for breakfast?” Hordak finally asks. “Such a good morning needs a good breakfast I think.”

Both of them shout out an excited “yeah!” at the same time. That’s all Hordak needs to get himself back up and walk over to begin preparing a holiday breakfast for them all.


	3. Daaaaad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes things aren't scary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just another short silly one

"Daaaaad!" The voice from outside causes Hordak's ears to twitch. He look up from his current activity, preparing to a meal for Himself, Adora, and Catra, while the girls were outside nominally doing small chores but mostly playing.

As long as everything is done by supper he does not mind if they intersperse their duties with play.

This particular call came from Adora, though it does not spark worry or even a desire to move quickly from Hordak. No, her tone is well known to him. It is the tone she takes when she knows what she needs help with is probably stupid.

"Yes Adora?" Hordak calls back as he wipes his claws off and steps out to the cabins porch. Adora is jogging up and stops to catch her breath. Amazing that this being before him used to be little more than a helpless baby. 

"Can you come out here for a minute?" She asks after standing back up straight.

Hordak quirks a brow "do you need something in particular?" 

Adora fidgets slightly and makes a face. Despite how much she's grown she's still so young, she wears her every thought on her sleeve. This is definitely stupid.

"Adora." Hordak prods. 

She sighs, and averts her gaze. "Catra's stuck in a tree and you're really tall so you can help her get down..." 

Hordak stares at his daughter for a moment. Then he looks past her out into the forest to stare at nothing.

"Very well. Lead the way." He finally says.


	4. Idiots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra needs to get away, to somewhere she trusts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The relationship between Catra and Hordak in this AU has been fun to nail down. They love each other but they don't have the open father daughter relationship that Hordak and Adora have.
> 
> Catra has some trouble reading, because she learned later in life. Taught by Hordak. It's something of a sensitive topic for her.

Catra probably shouldn't have stormed out of camp but they really had pissed her off. The snickering from sparkles, the look of almost pity from Bow. Even Adora was looking at her concerned! It's not her fault they asked her to read from the dumb book! They should be thanking her for even doing it for them!

She barely thinks as she moves through the woods, leaping between trees and scampering across the dirt. She's been at it for hours but she knows the woods well. She's one of the few who really know it. 

Maybe she shouldn't have gone so far. Adora will be worried. But also who cares about Adora.

The irony of the thought is lost as she slips into the familiar cabin. It's no Bright Moon but that's alright. It's better. It's packed with stuff. There's rooms and there's even a basement dug out underneath they never get to go in.

It's also familiar. It's warm.

It's safe here.

She's curled up in front of the fire when Hordak steps inside. She glances up at him for a moment, he's carrying a large sack over his shoulder. Supplies. He stares at her for a moment.

Then without a word he sets his bag down to start going through it. 

It's quiet like that for a time. Inevitably Hordak speaks though. "Things are going well then?"

Catra almost winces.

"Yeah. They're going great." She replies, her tail flicking in annoyance.

"Good. I would hate you to be in my home because of a problem." His reply is as bland as ever. "Have you eaten?"

More flicking. "... No"

"I'll make something." He states back. There's no further question. No arguing about him not needing to do that. It's final. 

It's also silently welcome. The smell of meat gets Catra to finally sit up, and when she's handed her food she mumbles a thank you. 

Hordak just sits down. Infuriatingly quiet. Not even looking at her. 

"I don't like Adora's new friends." Catra finally says. 

"They are troublemakers." Hordak nods.

"They're stupid! They don't get anything! They don't even know how to hunt right but they act all weird when I read something!" She blurts it out without thinking. Her ears droop and she looks down

Now Hordak does turn to look at her. "Did they now?"

"... Yeah."

She can't meet his gaze, she feels weirdly ashamed. Then she hears a low growl from him. It make her glance up.

Hordak's scowling.

Then he speaks. "Idiots." 

It's so... Simple. Just a single word, a look of anger.

But it's reassuring. It makes Catra feel better. There's no pity or worry. He's just mad with her. He just agrees with her. It soothes her slightly. 

"Thanks Hordak." She replies. Putting on a more aloof air again.

He just nods.


	5. Time for rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> End of a long day with a baby

Hordak is exhausted. There is no two ways about it. It is not often that Hordak finds himself truly unrecoverably tired but this is definitely one of those rare times. So he falls into a makeshift seat in his basement sanctum. Well, fall is generous, he actually manages to carefully lower himself into the chair. He has a child in his arms and he does not want to risk hurting her after all 

Or waking her up.

The old red eyed demon of the forest still cannot believe what his life has turned in to. Preparing for the colder season is always a fair amount of work in the whispering woods but to do it with this tiny child is simply ridiculous. Mostly it is mentally taxing he can admit to himself. He tried to have the nearby Madame Razz watch little Adora for the day but of course the mysterious woods witch was nowhere to be found today. She is always vanishing when it's convenient for her to do so. At first Hordak found it odd but then he has since worked out her unique state of existence. In all honesty he would vanish reliably too if he always knew when a visitor was coming.

Still, it caused the day to be a balancing act of preparing the cabin and keeping Adora safe and at least relatively happy. Somehow her energy seemed boundless today of all days to make it worse Trying to crawl everywhere, escape his grasp, eat anything she could reach. Every single moment was a juggling act of trying to get work done and trying to make sure Adora didn't kill herself in some new and interesting way. Truly babies exist to test their parents.

Even then though Hordak can't help but feel a little peaceful now, a little happy even. Adora is asleep finally, resting against his chest and protected under his arm. Perfectly content with him. There is some pride in that, in making this impossible to please little urchin of a being feel safe and relaxed.

Not that he cares too much about that sort of thing, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BABY


	6. Good Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family gathers wood

"Come on Hordak don't be such a slowpoke!" Catra teases as she walks ahead of him. She's carrying her own load of wood, branches mostly. Adora is walking beside her hefting her own, larger, haul. Hordak walks behind them, carrying a large bulk of the tree they felled together today over his armored shoulders.

"Would you care to trade cargo?" He asks with a small smirk. 

"Heck no! That would squish me!" Catra declares.

Adora gasps "Catra! You can't say heck!"

"You just said it!" Catra shoots back with a laugh. 

Hordak has to refrain from letting himself laugh at their antics. They really probably shouldn't be saying heck but the fact is they've done good work today. Hordak brought them along to gather wood, originally just to make sure he could keep an eye on them. They had helped though, wanting to get in some chops, helping split the cargo into manageable bundles. 

They're lucky, unique. They'll find that out someday. The Whispering Woods doesn't let most people cut down the trees. Hordak and the girls aren't most people though. Hordak has learned over his many years here how to listen, and he taught the girls in turn. Let the woods tell you what you're allowed to take, and only take that. Otherwise things get weird.

It would be creepier to hear the woods whisper in his mind if Hordak wasn't already used to having a psychic presence manifest in his conciousness. The woods are admittedly better than his brother though. They keep to themselves. 

The journey back to the cabin is long, and clearly tiring for the girls. Despite Catra's teasing of Hordak's slow and steady march they actually do have to take a few breaks that Catra pants and moans about being hungry through. She likes to complain but she always does what needs doing. The moment they're home however the girls both collapse right onto the floor.

"You can't sleep on the floor." Hordak says. "You also need dinner first."

Adora groans. "My feet hurt!" 

"Yeah! My everything hurts!" Catra adds.

The bitter irony of that makes Hordak smirk. "Pick yourselves up, go wash up and change into your sleepwear." Hordak says simply, moving to the little kitchen area to see what he can make for them. As the girls groan to their feet and trudge off Hordak decides to simply fry some of the meats he has frozen for them. A treat. They've earned it.

They did good work today.

"Since we got so much of the haul back in one trip today we can leave later tommorow!" Hordak declares as he cooks.

Adora peaks back out. "Really?!" 

He hears Catra let out a "I forgot we had to go back!" 

Hordak nods to Adora. "Really. We won't need as many trips. So, we can sleep in tommorow." He smiles up at her.

Adora's eyes gleam. "Really!?" She asks again, louder.

Hordak chuckles and just nods.

"Catra we get to sleep in! On a chores day!" 

As the two girls are suddenly re-energized at the promise of future laziness Hordak is busy plotting out his day. There's still plenty to be done, of course, and he had planned on their help giving him time to do it all but...

If he wakes up a bit early himself he'll have time to make it all work while letting them sleep in.

Good work should be rewarded.


End file.
